Ireland Former garda to sue force over armed arrest during football match
A former garda, an Irish man who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested by the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) in 2020 while playing football with friends in a Dublin park, after he had raised concerns in 2019 about leather gun holsters acquired by An Garda Síochána. He is facing trial in the Circuit Criminal Court on weapons offences, which he denies. On April 11th he lodged a High Court case against Garda Commissioner Drew Harris over the circumstances of his arrest and alleged breaches of whistleblower protections, and the case was reported on April 23rd, 2025.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court23 Apr
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A former garda was arrested by the ERU while taking part in a football match with friends.
- Where
- The arrest took place in a Dublin park.
- When
- The ERU arrest operation took place in 2020.
- Cause
- The man first raised concerns about leather gun holsters in 2019, and he says he was penalised for acting as a whistleblower.
- Weapon
- The concerns related to allegedly defective gun holsters acquired by An Garda Síochána, which the man said posed a serious safety risk.
- Investigation
- A technical examination of the holster was carried out in 2020.
- The matter has been the subject of several protected disclosures and has been raised in the Dáil on multiple occasions.
- The matter has been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, now known as Fiosrú.
- Charges
- The man is facing trial on weapons offences and denies all charges.
- In court
- The man is to be tried in the Circuit Criminal Court.
- On April 11th the man lodged a case in the High Court against Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, represented by Belfast-based solicitor Kevin Winters.
- Other details
- The case claims wrongful arrest, that ERU officers were directed to arrest him in public to avoid any risk of a siege, and that the manner of detention was a gross overreaction.
- The case also claims breaches of the Protected Disclosures Act.
13 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA former garda was arrested by the ERU during a football match with friends (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe man is suing Garda Commissioner Drew Harris over the circumstances of his arrest (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe case claims breaches of the Protected Disclosures Act relating to whistleblower claims about defective gun holsters (irishtimes.com)
- whatERU officers were directed to arrest him in public to avoid any risk of a siege (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe man is represented by Belfast-based solicitor Kevin Winters (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe man is facing trial in the Circuit Criminal Court on weapons offences and denies all charges (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe matter has been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, now known as Fiosrú (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe man will claim wrongful arrest and that the manner of detention was a gross overreaction (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe arrest took place in a Dublin park (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe ERU arrest operation took place in 2020 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe case was lodged in the High Court on April 11th (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe man first raised concerns about the leather holsters in 2019 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe technical examination of the holster was carried out in 2020 (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 23 Apr2025Garda whistleblower sues force over arrest by armed officers during football match with friends
Reports the lodging of a High Court case by a former garda against the Garda Commissioner, claiming wrongful arrest by the ERU and breaches of whistleblower protections related to defective gun holsters.
victim, male, Irish, irish